interface extension

[Priyesh P.]

Don´t know why, but when I was reading in the off-topic section something suddenly popped into my mind. And I also don´t know if it had already been mentioned.

I have the impression that because of the small size and the small space on the Red camera the battery pack has to be mounted on rails or a bit off-camera rather than put it directly and compactly on the camera itself. The biggest "waste of space" (please don´t misunderstand this, it is the best way I can describe it) is, in my opinion, the terminal with the connectors for video and audio on the right side.
Why didn´t Red put some (two or three) little lemo-connectors onto the cam where we can plug a little box that can be mounted anywhere on or off the camera which houses the actual (big) plugs?
Lets say one for audio, one for video and one for TC and aux connections.

I, for example, don´t need audio connectors or sdi-connectors most of the time, just like wild-life documentary people maybe won´t need those (all of the time).
Those of us who mainly shoot music videos won´t likely use audio inputs. I know that this would produce more cables and bit more mess sometimes, but it would give us more space for mounting options.

Just my 2 c...

[Stuart English]

Kalone, are you debating the location of the battery or where the A/V connectors go? Your thread seems to suggest the two are related, but I'm not sure this is your point though - can you explain? The reason the battery is on rails is to act as an adjustable counterbalance for a wide variety of lens weights.

[Priyesh P.]

Hi Stuart,

I was thinking, that if there would be a way to free some space on the right side of the camera (where audio,video,tc-plugs are ) it would provide enough space to maybe directly attach a battery there.

Maybe I'm wrong and the space is too small for the red battery anyways.

But nonetheless I always wondered why you did put connectors there that exit the camera sideways and not like on the arris ( backwards / downwards / in an angle ) since that reduces tension on cables and prevents accidental jamming.

The idea that the camera better balances with a battery on the rails is good. But often it won´t help that much and only makes the camera too long ( and a battery on extended rails can be a dangerous thing if the cameraman turns around without keeping that in mind ).

Priyesh

[Jarred Land]

the Vlock battery is pretty big.. hanging it off the side would be possible but it would throw the balance off pretty badly.

the battery can go on top, or on a belt if you dont want it on the back.

[Priyesh P.]

Hi Jarred,

ok. Then there´s no other option than getting used to it.

...until...until maybe some mysterious battery technology is invented...
;-)

[Darwin]

I don't get it. What's wrong with battery the way it is? why would you need "some mysterious battery technology" I for one, like not having it on the body. gives me more options to work with.

[James T Mather]

I like the battery system as it stands - for balance - steadicam etc

[Fergus Meiklejohn]

Yeah the shifting-weight to improve balance system is fantastic. I'm looking forward to seeing how I can fold it all up to carry in a little bag then unfold to to film with (I do a lot of low rent in remote locations doco filming, where having a big camera bag might not be such a great idea..:whistling: )

[Champe Barton]

This is my first visit (not much of a forum junkie I’m afraid, too many other vices to keep up with) but thought I’d take this opportunity to throw my two cents in.

IMO the battery placement on RED is great. The biggest hassle
when working with my F900 is the number of cables hanging off the thing while shooting with sound for commercials, etc. and trying to use the paint box to control the camera. Although fiber is an expensive option, I was hoping for a somewhat simpler and cheaper solution when I get my Red. Since all the cables are going to need some kind of adapter why not make a small box that would attach somewhere on the camera with all the cables to the camera on one side and a multi-pin connector on the other side with a companion 50 to 100 foot cable and remote box for sound mixer, camera control and monitors to plug in. The remote box would have standard XLRs and BNCs and a USB for camera control using a laptop and RedCine. A cable with all those conductors may be a bit heavy but a single quick release sure speeds things up and makes the set both neater and safer.

I realize that shooting RAW makes painting the image on set unnecessary but anyone who works with agencies I’m sure will recognize the need.

Does anybody know if this type of interface has been considered?

[Priyesh P.]

Hi Champe, please read the first post of mine, that´s exactely what I was asking for,too - boxes that offset the actual connections from the camera.

[Matt Uhry]

This is my first visit (not much of a forum junkie I’m afraid, too many other vices to keep up with) but thought I’d take this opportunity to throw my two cents in.

IMO the battery placement on RED is great. The biggest hassle
when working with my F900 is the number of cables hanging off the thing while shooting with sound for commercials, etc. and trying to use the paint box to control the camera. Although fiber is an expensive option, I was hoping for a somewhat simpler and cheaper solution when I get my Red. Since all the cables are going to need some kind of adapter why not make a small box that would attach somewhere on the camera with all the cables to the camera on one side and a multi-pin connector on the other side with a companion 50 to 100 foot cable and remote box for sound mixer, camera control and monitors to plug in. The remote box would have standard XLRs and BNCs and a USB for camera control using a laptop and RedCine. A cable with all those conductors may be a bit heavy but a single quick release sure speeds things up and makes the set both neater and safer.

I realize that shooting RAW makes painting the image on set unnecessary but anyone who works with agencies I’m sure will recognize the need.

Does anybody know if this type of interface has been considered?

I mentioned it to some of the Booth guys at NAB - right side of camera, remote somewhere, one cable etc... It had crossed their minds, but first things first...

I'm sure we will see some "snakes" that have the audio and maybe SDI built in, might that do at least part what you are looking for? I don't like having tons of cables hanging off the camera either, but it seems to be our near term future...

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com

[Nook Kim]

Great idea for getting rid of the cables on the camera. If the technology can
afford this, why not. Although, I think it's about time to move onto the wireless
era.

[tj williams]

Each person is going to want a different, perhaps several different cable layouts. There are a number of cable companies who will build to order a snake that can break out to all the cables you want to connect to it, on the body's right side and perhaps, the break out could be attached to the lower rear right rod so that unsnapping the snake at that point for repositioning ie from crane to dolly etc would not be such a cabling nightmare. After all this time it mystifys me how there are still so many cables hanging off F900's multi wire snakes are not that difficult. There is a near local video tap guy in Portland that has all the tap/village related cabling in snakes, each monitor has only one plug into the back,(power/video/audio) it's super clean and much more failure proof.

[Alexander Nikishin]

I'm still waiting to try this doo dad....

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/01/12/Philips_makes_wireless_HDMI/

[Joel Kaye]

I'm still waiting to try this doo dad....

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/01/12/Philips_makes_wireless_HDMI/

Drewel. I'm buying that if it works. Hopefully that'll solve the director's monitor issue.

[Alexander Nikishin]

Here's a video on it....

http://reviews.cnet.com/Philips_Wireless_HDMI/4660-12760_7-6683992.html

The 25ft. distance is limiting though. I wonder if would be possible to use a signal booster.

Then again, I've read about other wireless hdmi transmitters that transmit further.

Here's an extender actually...

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/EXT-WHDMI.htm

[Curran Giddens]

I like Gefen products. I looks like this product is still pre-order.

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4318